Before You Move - Down-Size Your Belongings

When you decide to sell your home, even beforeOrganizing and downsizing is best done room by
you get around to staging it for sale considerroom. If you start with your storage areas you can
downsizing your belongings. As someone who'sclear out things that you don't need any more as well
moved numerous times both with and withoutas make room for things that you want to keep that
children, I've come to appreciate a somewhatrequire storage like camping gear and holiday
minimalist lifestyle when it comes time to move.decorations. Clean out your closets. Go through all the
However, that minimalist style can also be extremelyclothes in your closets and take out anything that
useful when you're looking to sell your home and canyou haven't worn in a long time and anything that's
even make living in your house more comfortable instarting to wear out. Toss out towels and bedding
the meantime.that's getting worn out as well. Go through your
There are a great variety of reasons why you shouldchildren's toys and clothes and sort out anything that
regularly go through your piles of stuff and eliminatethey don't use or doesn't fit anymore.
the unnecessary. First, less stuff in your home makesConsider pieces of furniture that you no longer need
for less to keep clean; it's easier to tidy and organiseor don't fit with your home style as well. Often we
your space with less in it and way easier to keep ithang on to furniture that no longer works with our
dusted. Secondly, if you're looking to sell your homehomes just because it has sentimental value. Get rid
you're going to be moving; less stuff makes for anof it if it no longer works.
easier move. Next, in order to sell your house youOnce you've sorted all the junk (or treasures) out of
should either have a professional stage your home,your house one of the best things you can do is
or stage it yourself; either way, you will need to clearhave a garage sale. Some items may also do well in a
out the excess clutter and leave your home with aconsignment store if they are more valuable than
clean minimalist look so that prospective buyers cangarage sale material. Anything that you have left
actually see what your house is all about.over after that is best donated to a thrift store or a
There are a wide variety of items that people tendbattered women's shelter.
to hoard in their homes. Some people never toss outYou will find that once your home is all sorted out, it's
old items of clothes while others might store vastmuch easier to organize the remainder for more
quantities of old magazines and clippings. Some itemscomfortable living as well as easier staging your home
that people collect are actually quite useful and shouldfor sale. Prospective buyers will be able to see for
be organized and stored properly, however manythemselves the character in your home when it's
other items that are collected are mostly useless orclutter free!
unused by the owner.